Volleyball Drops Tough, Four-Set Match to Charlotte

Saturday, October 22

McGonigle Hall

7:00 PM

Temple University

6-16, 2-7 A-10

Charlotte

9-12, 3-6 A-10

Charlotte

Temple

Tiffany Connatser recorded 39 assists and 11 digs for the Owls

Photo by: Mitchell Leff

Volleyball Drops Tough, Four-Set Match to Charlotte

10.22.11 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Owls let a lead slip away against the 49ers

Box Score (PDF)

PHILADELPHIA - Despite a 1-0 lead to start the match and a late lead in the fourth set, the Temple volleyball team dropped a tough, four-set match to visiting Charlotte by scores of 21-25, 25-19, 25-22 and 25-23. The 49ers were able to get the crucial points at the end of a close fourth set and improve to 9-12 overall and 3-6 in the Atlantic 10. Temple drops to 6-16 overall and 2-7 in the conference.

Elyse Burkert and Gabriella Matautia led the Owls with 15 kills apiece, while Burkert made it a double-double with 10 digs and Matautia recorded nine digs. Also notching a double-double was Tiffany Connatser with 39 assists to go with 11 digs. Chelsea Tupuola led all players with 17 digs, and Emily Frazer tallied a team-best seven blocks.

Leah Leventhal led Charlotte with 15 kills while Bianca Rouse recorded a double-double with 14 kills and 13 digs.

"I thought this was a really exciting match, and it was a lot of fun to play," said Temple head coach Bakeer Ganes. "Both teams made some really good plays, but unfortunately for us, Charlotte made some big plays at some crucial times. We got some production from different people, and especially our middles did a good job today. What's most important is how we progress as a team, and whether or not we're getting better every time we play. Coming from the match we played against George Washington (last night) to this one, I'm very pleased with the steps forward."

With a strong hitting percentage of .364 as a team, knocking down 15 kills with just three errors in the first set, Temple was able to pull away from Charlotte to take a 1-0 lead for the match. Burkert recorded seven kills with zero errors in the set including the final bullet to cap a 5-2 run for the Owls.

Twelve ties and four lead changes marked a back-and-forth second set, but attack errors ultimately did the Owls in as the 49ers scored eight of the final 10 points in the set to even the match at one set apiece.

The next two sets stayed just as close with 10 ties in the third and 11 ties in the fourth. The third set also saw the lead change hands four times. Trailing by just a point, 23-22 in the third, Temple committed two straight errors as Charlotte took a 2-1 lead for the match.

The Owls looked like they would push the match to a fifth set with a 23-21 lead in the fourth set, but once again errors proved costly while a timely service ace from Abbie Rees helped the 49ers take the set and the match.

Temple will play at home again next weeked against La Salle and Saint Louis, starting with a 7:00 p.m. match against La Salle on Friday, Oct. 28.